In a relief to kidney patients in Feroke, Ramanattukara, and Vazhayoor, Farook College near here has set up a dialysis unit on its premises.
The college authorities claimed that the facility was a first-of-its-kind for any college in the State. The facility is being offered in association with Iqraa Hospital, Kozhikode, and Thanal, a non-governmental organisation. The centre with 10 machines was opened by T.P. Ramakrishnan, Minister for Labour and Excise, recently.
K.M. Nazeer, college Principal, said on Monday that patients from nearby areas would be given priority. There could be many in the locality who might not travel to hospitals with dialysis facilities. Thirty patients could make use of it a day for free. “The centre will start functioning on January 16. The applications are being sorted out now,” he said. The funds for setting up the centre were provided by the Farook Old Students’ Association, Parent Teachers’ Association, teachers and students.
The college already has a pain and palliative clinic, which offers relief to bed-ridden patients. Started in 2005, the clinic is offering medical, food, educational and other social support to around 400 patients from nearby local bodies. There is a weekly outpatient unit at the jubilee health centre on the campus. Doctor’s home care and students and volunteer-oriented nurses home care also are conducted six days a week.
